Belt-cleaning device



July 9, v LUNN BELT CLEANING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3 lnyenvr: I c rnea L Zanoz M f 153/ m M9154 July 9, 1929. E. LUNN BELT CLEANING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1', 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fnrfenar. (f r zep larva m K241412 0 4?- l Patented July 9, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST LUNN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PULLMAN COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BELT-CLEANIN G DEVICE.

Application filed August 1, 1924. Serial No. 729,658.

This invention relates to belt cleaning devices, and more particularly to means for removing foreign matter from transmission belts.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of new and improved means for removing ice, snow, etc. from the pulley engaging surface of transmission belts.

Another object of the invention is the provision of new and improved means for removing foreign matter from the pulley engaging surface of transmission belts, that is properly held and automatically operated by contact with the moving belt.

Other objects of the invention are the provision of a new and improved belt cleaner that is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, easily installed, eflicient in operation, that is composed of few moving parts, and that is not likely to become broken or get out of order.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a generator and drive belt for operating the same adapted to be carried by railway cars, showing my invention in position, with parts broken away and with the generator detached from the car;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with parts in section and parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of the device;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same with parts in section and parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a. still further modified form of the device;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the same, with parts broken away and parts in section;

Fig. 7 is a section on line 77 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of a modified form of cleaner device; and

Fig. 10, is a section on line 1010 of Fig. 9.

On the drawings, the reference character 1 designates any type of driven mechanism which is adapted to be driven by a suitable belt 2 trained over a pulley 3 associated with said mechanism. For simplicity of illustration and convenience in description the mechanism 1 is disclosed as being an electric generator that is adapted to be carried by railway cars to furnish electricity for lightmg purposes, etc. The generator 4 is rovided with a supporting arm 5 whic is adapted to be pivoted to the underside of the car in the usual manner. Since the generator and the means for mounting the same on the car constitute no part of the present invention the details of the generator are not disclosed, nor is the same shown as being mounted on a railway car. It is understood, however, that these features are of the usual or well known construction.

It is well known that transmission belts that are exposed more or less to the accumulation of foreign matter on the pulley engaging surface will lose a considerable proportion of their efliciency. This is especially true of belts on which snow and the like are likely to accumulate, for the reason that the snow adhering to the belt will be pressed against the same with suflicient force to convert it into a coating of ice on the pulley engaging surface of the belt thereby causing serious slippage of the belt with a corresponding decrease in efiiciency of the belt operated mechanism.

Suitable means have been provided for removing foreign matter from the belt during the operation of the mechanism 1. For convenience in mounting, the belt cleaning device may be and preferably is located adjacent to the pulley 3.

Generators for furnishing electricity to railway cars are as a rule operated from one of the car axles by a belt drive and as the generator is usually located beneath the car the belt is likely to have deposited on it, snow, sleet, and the like carried by air currents induced by the rapidly moving belt and train. Especially is this true when the snow is light and powdery. As a result of the pressure of the driving belt against the pulleys on the generator and car axle a thin film of ice is formed on these pulleys which is conducive to the slipping of the belt in driving the generator.

Suitable means for automatically cleaning the belt or for preventing an ob ectionable accumulation of foreign matter thereon will now be described.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a belt cleaning member 7 which may be and preferabl is in the form of a rotating brush, although it may be otherwise, is rotatably mounted in a suitable support 8 pivoted to the arms 9 and which are .hingedly connected to a bracket 11. The bracket 11 is secured to any suitable support as by being connected to the generator at.

In order to prevent undue wear on the belt by the contacting surface of the brush or cleaner member provision is madetor supthe manner of astreet sweeper.

porting the same in proximity to the pulley.

engaging face of the belt. Any suitable means may-be employed for this purpose.

In the form of the device selected to illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the supports 8 are provided with one or more guides 12 that may be inthe form of wheels which are adapted to engage the belt 2 for holding the cleaner member 7 at the proper distancetheretrom. .t is only necessary thatthe cleaner member 7 be in light contact with thebelt, and means are provided for ie adjusting the same to and from the belt as will presently appear. The axis of the cleaner member 7 is adapted to be arranged at an angle to the direction in which the belt is moving whereby matter accumulating on the belt will engage the cleaner member causing the same to rotate to thereby remove the said matter laterally from the belt after The brush or cleaner member 7 may be of any suitable width, depending on the size of the Zone on the belt it is desired to clean. As shown on the drawingthe centralzportion only 01'? the belt is cleaned, it being found in practice that this is suflicient to prevent slipping of tactthe pulley engagingitace of the belt 2.

and 4 no guides are=employed.

The belt cleaning device 7 is then adjusted ;-until the same is in-cl'ose proximity to or lightly contacts the surface of said belt.

Upon the accumulationof sleet, snow or other foreignmatteron the belt2 the" same will engage the cleaner member 7 causing the Isa-me to rotate and thereby remove said material laterally from the belt.

In the form of the device shown in Figs. 3 The belt cleaner 7 is mounted in a bracket which is hingedly connected to the support 16 as at 1.7. The bracket 15 is providedwith"an eX- tension 18- on which is adjustably mounted a counterweight 19. The counterweight 19 "maybe adjusted along the extension 18 for balancingthe'weight of the bracket 15 to Jinsure the proper contact :of the cleaner member 7 with the belt 2. If desired, the

I the bolt 26.

. of the sleevet3.

cleaner member 7'n1ay be mounted in blocks 21 slidably mounted in vertical slots 22 m the'bracket 15. Light springs 23 may be --provi'ded for holding the cleanermemberin contact witlrthe belt.

In the form of the device shown in Figs. 5 and "6 the cleaner member 7 is rotatably mounted on the arms 21 which engage opposite sides of the rigid support 25 and are pivotally connected thereto as by means of The support 25 is provided at its free end with an arcuate slot 27 in which is adapted to engage a bolt 28 carried by thearms 24k for adjusting the brush to or from the belt 2. By means of this arrangement the cleaner 7 may be adjusted in proximity to the belt 2 or in contacttherewith as may be desired.

If desired, the roller journal blocks 29 may be slidably mounted in slots 31 in the arms 24, and may be engaged b light springs 32 for holdingthe cleaner lightly against the belt, as in the form of the device shown in F 3 and 1. 1

The cleaner or cleaner member 7 may be of any suitable construction, either rotating or otherwise. Preferably a rotating. brush of wire or fiber is employed. One form of such brush is shown inFigs. 7 and 8 in which a plurality of disks 33 having a suitable number of mating grooves in which the wires or fibers Mare adapted to be clamped, is provided. The disks 33are mounted on a bearing sleeve orhub 35 an'd are clamped against the hub flange 36 by the flange member 37 threaded on the end of the hub 35. The hub is rotatably mounted on the axle or pin 38 which may be journaledin the journal boxes 29 slidably mounted in the slots 31 in the arms 24, the same beingforced toward the outer ends of said slots bythe springs-32, as shown in-Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive.

In the form of the deviceshown in-Figs. 9 and 10 the cleaner member 7 is composed of a series of thin disks ll'sp aced apart by the spacers as mounted'on the bearing "sleeve 43. A nut 4 1 is adapted to clamp" the disks and spacers against the ftlange o.ontheend The bearing sleeve 43 is adapted to be mounted onthe spindle or journal 38 as in the construction shown in Fig. 8. i

The operation of the device shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is substantially the same as that described above, the movement of the belt causing the rotation of the disks which removes the foreignniatter laterally "from said belt.

It is thought from the 'foregoingtaken in connection with the accompanying-thawings that the construction and operation of my device will be apparenttoz-those skilled in theart, and thatvarious changes in size,

shape, proportion and details of construe-F" tion may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a friction driving belt, of means associated with the inner friction driving face thereof for scraping therefrom accumulations of foreign matter adhering thereto and including a freely rotatable roller mounted independently of the belt for yieldable scraping movements towards and away from the belt, said roller having its periphery in frictional scraping engagement with the inner face of the belt for rotation thereby and its axis of rotation disposed oblique to the travel of the belt.

2. A driving belt cleaner for scraping accumulations from the inner friction driving face of a friction driving belt, comprising a supporting bracket for mountin the device in cooperative relation with a drive belt, and a freel rotatable scraping roller mounted upon the bracket with its axis of rotation disposed so that the roller will lie oblique with respect to the travel of the belt when the periphery of the roller is ,in frictional scraping contact therewith and said roller being mounted foryielding scraping movements towards and away from the belt.

ERNEST LUN N. 

